Evenflo Embrace Recall - Commentary

[Wineaux]

While searching for info on another car seat related matter, I found this page on a lawyers website. I think he is spot on in his commentary on product safety, consumer rights, and corporate responsibility. I can tell you now that after reading this I won't EVER support, recommend, or purchase a product from Evenflo, and their entire manufacturing group, again.

http://www.riccilaw.com/CM/BreakingN...eat-recall.asp

[snowbird25ca]

Wow, that guy breaks down into numbers and probabilities what I had been wondering in my head. I had looked at how long they continued letting the problematic seats be used even after fixing the design on new seats, but hadn't looked at the percent of seats involved by comparing incidents with number of seats.

I've been debating the same question about supporting evenflo after this incredibly awful delay in issuing a recall. I guess what I'm struggling with is that many seat manufacturers have had incidents of one type or another when a recall isn't issued until someone forces them to.

So I guess I'm not sure that there'd be that many seat choices left if you quit buying from every manufacturer who refused to recall until forced to. Especially since we don't have very many seat manufacturers in CAnada... but really, if you don't boycott a company completely, how do you get the point across..

I don't know the answer.. but at any rate, thanks for posting that article. It was really interesting to read and really hits the nail on the head.

[Morganthe]

I wouldn't be surprised if Evenflo categorized over 90% of those injuries as "owner usage error" thus leaving them (in their eyes) legally blame free.

Think about it, if the infant/baby was properly harnessed (tight, in the right position, chest clip in the correct spot) -- how many babies would have fallen out of the actual seat and have been injured? They might have bumped on the floor if the seat had landed on the ground. But I'd think that an automatic reaction would be to lift the seat higher as the handle made the 'bucket' area swing free. Baby would not be likely to be injured, especially as terrible as some of those listed injuries are.

I'm not condoning how long it took for a recall to be enacted. This is how any company is usually advised by its legal staff. First they look for misuse on the part of the owner. We've seen it a lot from You Tube and other photos how rarely a child seat is used correctly. Then it's how much the company to blame for fault. If all those babies were incorrectly harnessed, then Evenflo is not completely legally or ethically liable. I can think up a lot of dialogue for testimony that would let them be completely off the hook regarding how parents/guardians handle carseats.

[joolsplus3]

Good point. Leah took a completely far face dive forward in her SS1 once, landed like a turtle on the sidewalk, and she didn't get a single bump or scratch on her face or head...of COURSE her harness was done properly... I should have known better than to prop her on a Britax Verve Stroller, though, blush blush.

[Judi]

Originally Posted by Morganthe

I wouldn't be surprised if Evenflo categorized over 90% of those injuries as "owner usage error" thus leaving them (in their eyes) legally blame free.

Think about it, if the infant/baby was properly harnessed (tight, in the right position, chest clip in the correct spot) -- how many babies would have fallen out of the actual seat and have been injured? They might have bumped on the floor if the seat had landed on the ground. But I'd think that an automatic reaction would be to lift the seat higher as the handle made the 'bucket' area swing free. Baby would not be likely to be injured, especially as terrible as some of those listed injuries are.

If all those babies were incorrectly harnessed, then Evenflo is not completely legally or ethically liable. I can think up a lot of dialogue for testimony that would let them be completely off the hook regarding how parents/guardians handle carseats.

That what I have alway thought too!

[Wineaux]

They knew there was a problem, and so they redesigned the seat. If it wasn't an issue, then why the redesign? THAT shows they knew there was a problem, and then fixed it. What they should have done, morally and ethically (screw legality), was to inform their existing customers about the issue, and made the retrofit available to all. They instead chose to keep all of those seats in the retail channel, and only did the recall when forced. They cared more about their bottom line than our kids. That is why I'm permanently done with Evenflo and their associated brands.

Economic punishment is all that consumers have to force companies to act as they should. They didn't give their customers the benefit of the doubt. Why should we do so for them?